Even though she was a model, Maureen Blumhardt got more famous for being the better half of Charles Barkley who did not only play basketball professionally but also rose to become one of the best power forwards the NBA has ever seen. He played for three major teams and is remembered for his impressive skills, as well as the many awards he received in his playing days. He now works as an analyst of the game.
Blumhardt has been with the former NBA star since they got married more than three decades ago and she has continued to offer him all the necessary support. Their life together has caught the attention of both fans of her husband and those interested in happily ever after stories.
Maureen Blumhardt And Charles Barkley First Met In A Restaurant
Charles and Maureen are so perfectly cut for a great couple that one might think there was never a time they were not a couple. Well, there was; prior to the 1980s.
Although the time of their first meeting has not been revealed, it is known that they first met in Philadelphia at the City Avenue Restaurant. When they met, Blumhardt was juggling a career in modelling and working as a legal aide while Barkley had just begun his professional NBA career, playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Reports about their first meeting vary and this variance in the accounts of their meeting can be hinged on the fact that when they had their wedding in 1989, they kept the marriage under wraps, so, not a lot is known of how they first met.
The Couple Had A Secret But Controversial Marriage
At the time when the two met, it was entirely not normal to find interracial couples, as a result of the racial tension of the 80s and 90s. Considering this, they kept their relationship away from the knowledge of the public and when it was time to get married, it was also done in private.
They got married in 1989. The marriage was viewed by many in the Philly area as unpopular and controversial, hence, they decided not to make it a thing of the public even into the 90s. It was not until much later that they were comfortable with telling people they were married and even when they did, they were still subjected to questions.
Regardless of the problems they faced with the public based on their racial differences, both of them found a way to weather all storms that may have come their way in the course of their marriage. Maureen Blumhardt and Charles Barkley got married at a courthouse in a quiet affair and have remained married for over three decades. On the controversy that came with their marriage, they have remained mum.
They Have A Daughter
Their marriage has produced one child, a daughter- Christiana Barkley who was given birth to in 1989, the same year the couple got married. They have mostly managed to keep their daughter away from public life.
Christiana went to Villanova University from where she graduated and after that, went to Columbia Journalism School. She might be the daughter of a great basketball star and model, but she did not follow the path of either of her parents. Nonetheless, she is a huge fan of basketball.
A complete lookalike of her father, Christiana is a fan of Villanova, which makes sense as she graduated from the college. Because of this, her father was seen cheering for the team in the NCAA title game. Although there were those who believed his support for the team was because of his strained relationship with legendary basketball star Michael Jordan, he revealed it was because Villanova was the alma mater of his daughter who lives and dies for the game and supports the team. His excitement was mostly for his daughter than even for the team.
Blumhardt Changed The Life Of Her Husband
The life of Charles has not always been this stable. In the past, he has had to deal with some personal problems, including drug and gambling addiction. On a particular night, he revealed that he made over $700,000 on gambling, although it has cost him even more; over $2.5 million in a few hours and more than $10 million in years.
He continued to live in denial despite the huge price he has had to pay for his addiction. The one who would pull through and help him was his own wife, Maureen Blumhardt. She offered him the needed support until he got over the problems.
Finally, she was the one who got him to start thinking about marriage. Before their paths crossed, the then-rising NBA star was opposed to the idea of marriage but as soon as he met the right woman in Maureen, he decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea after all.
Maureen Blumhardt Is More Than Just The Wife Of A Famous Baller
It is no secret as already pointed out that the fame of Maureen Blumhardt, or Maureen Barkley as she is mostly known, is majorly tapped from her husband of more than 30 years. However, beyond just being the better half of the former basketball powerhouse who revealed his wife has changed his life entirely, Maureen also has a life of her own.
She once had a career as a model and legal aid. Her career as a model did not go very far as she did not get established or popular before she finally drew the curtains.
One of the few things that Maureen Blumhardt has been willing to reveal about herself is her philanthropy and this is most likely because she has no say in how people talk about the good she does. Her honorary membership at the charity group, Fresh Start Women’s foundation is one of the testimonies of how willing she is to give back to society.
She Lives A Comfortable Life With Her Husband
Maureen Blumhardt is the wife of a man who makes the list of fifty greatest NBA players of all time, Charles Barkley. This should obviously suggest that at the tail of their fame is a great fortune.
The former model shares in the estimated $50 Million net worth of her husband which he has made from his playing career, endorsement deals, as well as his present career as a sports analyst. Maureen’s personal fortune is not known, but it is no secret that while she might not be one who is extravagant, she still lives well.
Maureen Blumhardt Has A Great Sense Of Humour
This quarantine!! C told me that if I try to take control of the TV remote again…that he’ll bury me alive. I told him that would be a grave mistake ?
— Maureen Barkley (@MaureenBarkley) May 16, 2020
For a woman who lives under the radar, Maureen Blumhardt seems to have found a way to have an interesting social media experience on Twitter.
Although she does not have as many followers as you would expect of a celebrity, she makes use of her Twitter handle for humorous purposes. A quick scroll through her timeline will reveal a woman who has a very good sense of humour.
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